The Power of a Link

Over the past decade, the Internet has transformed news consumption into a social experience. Readers can now participate in the news process by sharing articles that they find interesting. This dissemination of news often takes place through social media. According to a recently released survey by the Pew Research Center, 52% of online news consumers have posted a link on a social networking site and 51% of people who see links on these sites have read them.

I am the perfect example of this phenomenon. This morning I read a report that I found interesting (see above) and wanted to share it with people (you). So, I’m linking to it in a blog and will then post the link via Facebook and Twitter. This starts a chain reaction where my followers repost the link for their followers to read. It’s quick, it’s fast, and it’s a powerful way to participate in the news process.